


Terrified

by AimAim94



Series: Comfortember 2020 [11]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avenger James "Rhodey" Rhodes, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark at MIT, James "Rhodey" Rhodes Needs a Hug, Multi, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Peter Parker is a horrible liar, Precious Peter Parker, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective Peter Parker, Protective Tony Stark, Teen Peter Parker, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Tony Stark is a good friend
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-09 22:34:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27583441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AimAim94/pseuds/AimAim94
Summary: "Dr. Cho cleared her throat and the whole room came to attention. Tired Avengers everyone stopped what they were doing to hear the news of their teammate, “He’s made it out of surgery. He’ll be out of the hero business for a few weeks but should make a full recovery.”Rhodey heard the excited chatter in the background as he exited the tower and made his way to his car. He didn’t hesitate for a moment. He was taking a time out. He drove straight to the airport and got a flight out of there. Rhodey had earned a moment to disappear without a word. No one would notice anyway."
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark, Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Avengers Team
Series: Comfortember 2020 [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1996336
Comments: 13
Kudos: 155
Collections: Comfortember 2020





	Terrified

**Author's Note:**

> ALRIGHT. ROUND #2 today! 
> 
> Trying to catch up on some of these, so I'm sorry if you get overwhelmed with all of the fics coming your way. I know there are tons of amazing stories being posted right now and I can't keep up either. They'll be here when you do. :)
> 
> RANDOM FACT ABOUT ME: Sundays always feel like I don't have enough time in the day. I'm always rushing to get as many things done that I can and by Monday I just have to accept it's good enough.

Rhodey paced the MedBay waiting room. He was so tired of his best friend always trying to play the sacrifice card. Tony was reckless and put himself in harm's way time and time again. Rhodey wanted to strangle him.

He had watched him hit the ground at a fast speed and he didn’t get to him in time. If only he had just listened when Rhodey had shouted at him to stop. Rhodey had seen what Tony had and he was already heading for the kid yet Tony had shoved the kid out of the way and the killer robot had shoved Tony off the roof instead. Something must have damaged the suit in the fight because Friday had screamed warnings at Rhodey to get to her boss and help. Rhodey had tried, but he wasn’t fast enough.

Rhodey was exhausted. He would always have the best friend who threw themselves in front of someone and tried to fly a nuke into space. He wanted off this ride. He just wanted off.

Dr. Cho cleared her throat and the whole room came to attention. Tired Avengers everyone stopped what they were doing to hear the news of their teammate, “He’s made it out of surgery. He’ll be out of the hero business for a few weeks but should make a full recovery.”

Rhodey heard the excited chatter in the background as he exited the tower and made his way to his car. He didn’t hesitate for a moment. He was taking a time out. He drove straight to the airport and got a flight out of there. Rhodey had earned a moment to disappear without a word. No one would notice anyway.

~

“Where’s Rhodey?” Tony asked for the 3rd time that week.

“Umm. He had some work stuff come up.” Peter lied again. He hated when Pepper left him in charge because he hated lying about this. The truth was that no one knew where Rhodey was. He had answered one text from Steve with a simple response of, “I’m safe.” Peter appreciated that, but it wasn’t like him to just ditch out when things got rough.

“He isn’t answering his phone though.” Tony frowned glancing at his phone again, “This isn’t like him, Pete. I’m worried.”

“Oh. He’s offline for the military I think. He warned us this was coming…Don’t you remember that conversation?” Peter kept glancing around waiting for an adult to come in and take over.

“Peter. I would remember my best friend telling me something like that. I know people think I’m an irresponsible mess but I keep track of things like that.” Tony locked his phone and put it on the nightstand next to his bed where he laid.

“Oh. I mean you took a hard hit. It makes sense you might forget some things.” Peter explained.

“Peter Benjamin Parker.”

Peter winced. He should never be left in charge. He wasn’t good at it.

“Tony. Give Peter a break.” Pepper told him coming into the room. She ruffled Peter’s hair and pulled him in for a hug, “I think Happy is waiting in the garage to give you a ride home.”

~

Rhodey had been gone for two weeks. He had answered one message because he didn’t want a search team coming looking for him. He had picked a random destination in South Carolina on the beach. He had put the rental on his best friend’s card since he was the reason that he needed this vacation anyway. He knew Tony could easily find him, but he wasn’t hiding per say. He was trying to relax and calm down after almost losing his friend for what felt like the 100th time since he became Iron Man—Heck even before then. Tony had always been reckless.

It was night time and the sky was beautiful and for November the air only had a sight breeze to it. He saw a couple of ladies walk by as they chatted away. He closed his eyes leaning against the chair listening to the waves crash when he heard a scream. Damn. Someone was about to ruin his vacation. That sucked.

Rhodey ran down the beach knowing what direction the ladies had been heading and knowing that was the source of the scream. He found a man holding a gun on them demanding their belongings, “Look man. Pick on someone your own size.”

“Listen. You aren’t involved in this.” The man yelled. He had crazy eyes and he was tweaking. 

Rhodey had seen this before. The man was on drugs of some kind. He was probably just trying to do whatever it took to get his next high. He didn’t care about the collateral damage it took to get there, “Calm down. Just calm down. No one has to get hurt.”

“JUST GIVE ME YOUR FUCKING MONEY NOW!” The man was becoming unhinged. He hit the gun against one of the women.  
“STOP! Just stop. Here.” Rhodey pulled out his wallet and passed Tony’s card to the man, “This has plenty of money on it. Go nuts at the ATM. Just get out of here.”

Rhodey wasn’t going to try and play hero right now. He was planning to get home to his family safely and he wanted these ladies home safely too. He knew they had people counting on them. Tony would forgive him for giving that man his card and the man would hit up an ATM and take out the max by the time Rhodey alerted him to cancel it. That wouldn’t even put a dent in Tony’s income.

~

Rhodey talked with the ladies and the police and finally made it back to his rental. He found his phone and dialed a number that he didn’t need to use a contact for. He would always know this number by heart.

The line rang a few times before it was answered, “Honey Bear?”

“Tones.” Rhodey breathed out a sigh of relief. He hadn’t known how much he needed to hear his voice. He had heard Dr. Cho say he was fine, but hadn’t seen the man himself.

“You’re safe? Avoiding me though, right? Stressed Peter out. He’s an awful liar. You know that, right?” Tony told him.

“Listen I have to tell you something before we get into this. I gave your emergency card to a druggie who was going to shoot someone. He probably already pulled money from an ATM.” Rhodey hoped Tony heard the apology in his voice.

“Everyone is safe?” Tony asked as he pulled up the info to cancel the card and order a new one with a different number.

“Yeah, but man—I’m sorry.”

“People can’t be replaced. You made the right call.” Tony had never doubted his friend’s judgement and he wouldn’t start now, “What made you disappear on me?”

“I got tired of being terrified of losing you. I just needed a minute. Do you know I still see you falling from the worm whole? I think about the time they almost shot you down in the suit when they didn’t know it was you in the sky. You can’t keep doing this to me. You’re going to give me an ulcer.” Rhodey sat down on the couch in his rental and put his feet on the coffee table.

“I’m not used to people caring.”

“Don’t use that. You know I’ve cared about you from the moment I gave you that MIT sweatshirt when you were sick at college that one night. You’re my best friend and I never want to live in a world that doesn’t have you in it.”

“I was half dead that day.” Tony remembered that night in college. He had been shivering under a pile of blankets unable to get warm when his roommate had thrown that sweatshirt at him.

“It was a cold.” Rhodey rolled his eyes.

“At the very least a bad flu. I was basically at death’s door.” Tony laughed which ended in a fit of coughing.

“Broken ribs?” Rhodey asked.

“You know it. HURTS SO GOOD.” Tony heard his phone beep, “Pete’s on the other line and it’s late. Stop by when you come back to town tomorrow?”

“In another week.” Rhodey teased.

“I’ll send Pepper after you and make you come home if you aren’t in this tower in seven days time.” Tony warned.

“Noted.” Rhodey hung up.

~

“Pete? It’s late.” Tony told the kid as he answered the call.

“The guilt is eating me alive.” Peter explained, “Rhodey isn’t on a work trip. We don’t know where he is and I don’t want to keep lying. We know he’s safe and that’s it and I’m sorry for lying.”

“Pete, I know where Rhodey is.” Tony reassured, “It’s all good, Bud. We talked.”

“Oh thank God. I can sleep then?” Peter sighed.

“Goodnight, Pete. Love you buddy!” Tony fell asleep with a smile on his face that night.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU FOR READING!
> 
> I SERIOUSLY LOVE THIS COMMUNITY AND THE SUPPORT IT BRINGS.
> 
> THIS WRITER RUNS ON COMMENTS AND KUDOS!
> 
> LOVE YOU 3000!


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